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Caleb as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Caleb

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The baby name Caleb is a Male name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced /ˈkeɪ.ləb/ (KAY-leb).

Caleb is Hebrew in Origin.

Gender: Male
Syllables: 2.0
Origin: Hebrew
Pronunciation: /ˈkeɪ.ləb/ (KAY-leb)

What is the meaning of the name Caleb ?

The baby name Caleb is a Male name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced /ˈkeɪ.ləb/ (KAY-leb).

Caleb is Hebrew in Origin.

Caleb stems from the Hebrew Kalev (כָּלֵב), interpreted in two complementary ways: as “dog,” a Near Eastern emblem of loyalty and protection, and via folk etymology from kol + lev (“whole heart”), yielding “wholehearted” or “faithful.” Through the Septuagint and Vulgate it entered European languages as Caleb/Chaleb, retaining its steadfast associations.

In the Hebrew Bible, Caleb son of Jephunneh is the courageous scout whose trust in God won him the promised land, securing the name’s appeal among Jews and Christians. English Puritans adopted it in the 17th century, and it surged again in late 20th‑century America and beyond. Variants and cognates include Kaleb, Cayleb, and the nickname Cal; Hebrew Kalev; Portuguese Calebe; Ge’ez/Ethiopian Kaleb (borne by a 6th‑century Aksumite king); and standard Caleb in Spanish and French.

Caleb has the following similar or variant Names

Famous people with the name Caleb

Caleb McLaughlin Actor · Born 2001 · United States Caleb McLaughlin is an American actor best known for playing Lucas Sinclair in the hit Netflix series Stranger Things. He gained international recognition from the show, which premiered in 2016. Caleb Landry Jones Actor|musician · Born 1989 · United States Caleb Landry Jones is an American actor and musician best known for films like Get Out, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, and X-Men: First Class. Born on 7 December 1989, he first gained wider attention through standout supporting roles including Banshee, Jeremy Armitage, and Red Welby. Caleb Carr Actor · Born 1955 · United States Caleb Carr was an American military historian and novelist best known for his bestselling historical thriller The Alienist. He also wrote The Angel of Darkness and The Lessons of Terror, and was the second of three sons born to Lucien Carr and Francesca von Hartz.

Celebrity babies named Caleb

Name Last Name(s) Mother Mother famous for Fame Level Father Father famous for Fame Level
Caleb Goddard Susan Anspach television actor ★★★★★ Jack Nicholson film director ★★★★★

Caleb – Popularity by country

Based on birth registration data from national statistics agencies.

Country Gender Year Rank Born of
Ireland Boys 2025 #1 — 836
Germany Boys 2025 #1 — 423
FJ 0 #6 1 374
HT 0 #12 1 399
FJ Boys 0 #17 1 603
HN 0 #22 1 704
HT Girls 0 #23 1 950
New Zealand Boys 2010 #25 174 99
HT Boys 0 #33 2 903
Canada Boys 2024 #35 579 2,588
BI Boys 0 #44 1 917
United States Boys 2024 #48 5,766 7,044
HN Boys 0 #52 1 749
PR 0 #55 1 1,497
AO 0 #76 2 2,729
JP 0 #76 2 4,057
CN 0 #84 3 3,857
JM 0 #91 3 3,714
TW 0 #103 1 4,523
QA 0 #105 2 7,011
PH 0 #110 1 5,607
EC 0 #121 1 2,502
OM 0 #121 1 6,215
Switzerland Boys 2024 #128 10 1,769
BN Boys 0 #136 4 6,332
BW Boys 0 #137 13 4,685
CR 0 #142 17 5,526
PR Boys 0 #148 27 2,508
BW Girls 0 #150 2 4,216
Belgium Boys 2024 #156 33 401
HU Boys 0 #174 1 3,954
MT Boys 0 #178 2 4,064
Sweden Boys 2022 #179 4 1,509
GH Boys 0 #180 211 8,138
AE 0 #186 2 10,220
AR 0 #193 1 2,915
NG 0 #210 55 5,926
GH 0 #214 30 5,396
BG Boys 0 #220 1 3,850
LU Boys 0 #220 1 4,970
AO Boys 0 #223 20 5,568
SG 0 #224 46 11,010
PS 0 #225 2 5,692
EC Boys 0 #230 10 3,322
MO Boys 0 #231 4 5,842
TW Boys 0 #231 11 7,111
CR Boys 0 #247 318 10,188
NA Boys 0 #249 5 6,830
NG Boys 0 #249 1,929 16,906
JP Girls 0 #251 1 6,592
GR Boys 0 #273 1 6,912
JM Girls 0 #277 2 7,507
IL 0 #281 2 6,291
JP Boys 0 #283 15 7,909
CN Boys 0 #284 36 9,639
France Boys 2021 #287 103 2,865
JM Boys 0 #287 7 6,876
PE 0 #289 22 6,350
AL Boys 0 #303 1 5,122
CZ Boys 0 #305 1 6,530
GT 0 #305 10 5,948
SA 0 #310 3 10,560
MY 0 #314 17 12,352
DK Boys 0 #331 2 7,401
HK 0 #331 18 8,483
GH Girls 0 #332 6 6,973
PA Boys 0 #332 158 9,305
PH Boys 0 #340 44 11,440
BO 0 #348 34 6,868
CN Girls 0 #359 1 8,829
MU Girls 0 #362 1 8,539
MU Boys 0 #364 6 8,477
HK Boys 0 #366 168 12,905
PT Boys 0 #375 7 7,951
SG Boys 0 #382 358 17,960
JO Boys 0 #388 2 7,057
MX 0 #394 20 8,339
BO Boys 0 #400 211 9,244
ZA 0 #403 45 14,421
UY Boys 0 #410 4 5,922
OM Girls 0 #424 1 15,987
GT Boys 0 #426 49 7,625
PH Girls 0 #426 4 13,098
CM Boys 0 #433 119 12,054
CL 0 #434 1 6,867
AR Boys 0 #451 17 7,628
SD Boys 0 #465 2 10,523
PE Boys 0 #466 573 14,506
CO 0 #471 10 7,768
PT Girls 0 #471 1 7,952
MX Boys 0 #501 649 16,355
PA Girls 0 #513 6 9,861
ZA Boys 0 #514 1,020 25,619
RU Boys 0 #518 9 12,621
RU Girls 0 #523 1 11,913
IQ Girls 0 #525 1 11,303
CL Boys 0 #537 131 13,390
CM Girls 0 #557 4 11,671
PS Boys 0 #558 4 10,655
KW Girls 0 #560 2 19,177
IR Boys 0 #564 2 10,162
CR Girls 0 #573 1 11,342
BH 0 #581 7 17,937
AE Girls 0 #596 2 20,968
IL Boys 0 #620 6 10,983
SG Girls 0 #630 3 18,916
CO Boys 0 #641 299 15,656
Finland Boys 2026 #646 37 3,552
HK Girls 0 #649 2 16,104
BO Girls 0 #650 2 9,488
QA Boys 0 #687 21 18,093
LB 0 #688 3 13,263
IQ Boys 0 #695 3 13,071
BR Boys 0 #701 51 12,213
NG Girls 0 #745 42 15,093
KW Boys 0 #753 17 18,755
TN 0 #865 1 13,765
OM Boys 0 #871 11 17,948
Spain Boys 0 #876 55 5,610
MY Boys 0 #876 237 25,439
United States Girls 2024 #908 9 8,487
CL Girls 0 #914 2 14,098
Germany Boys 0 #919 34 5,697
EG Boys 0 #920 6 15,035
NL Boys 0 #922 30 5,873
PE Girls 0 #934 10 14,861
IN Boys 0 #986 16 16,750
BR Girls 0 #991 2 12,708
SA Girls 0 #1,014 1 25,931
AE Boys 0 #1,062 31 22,615
MY Girls 0 #1,071 2 24,821
MA 0 #1,117 12 20,986
ZA Girls 0 #1,122 20 25,928
CO Girls 0 #1,146 7 16,140
MX Girls 0 #1,170 14 17,781
DZ 0 #1,229 6 20,130
TR 0 #1,251 4 19,440
IT Boys 0 #1,340 132 10,046
SA Boys 0 #1,568 47 28,008

Caleb is popular in 76 countries — most recent births per country:

Ireland
Canada
Scotland, United Kingdom
France
United States

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People also ask about Caleb

Caleb is predominantly a boy's name.
Caleb is a 2 syllable name, pronounced /ˈkeɪ.ləb/ (KAY-leb).
Common nicknames and spelling variations include Kaleb, Calev, Kalev and Cal.
Yes, very popular — Caleb ranked #1 in Ireland in 2025, and appears in official birth registries across 12 countries.
Caleb ranks highest in Ireland (#1 in 2025).
Caleb's popularity is holding steady. It moved from #1 in 2015 to #1 in 2025 in Ireland.
Yes — 3 notable people named Caleb are in our database, including Caleb McLaughlin (Actor), Caleb Landry Jones (Actor|musician), Caleb Carr (Actor).
Yes — at least 1 celebrity couple has chosen Caleb for their child, including Susan Anspach and Jack Nicholson.